Spring Happenings

What is spring in Minnesota without a few surprise snowstorms? Katie turned 17 on April 4! Kyle and Ella were at our house that day, and they were happy to help celebrate. I think this was when they were helping Mom wrap Katie's presents. See, there's a good reason I insist on saving all those boxes! We also got to take care of Lyndi again for a day - such a sweetheart! Our church is sending a team of people to Bangladesh in November to minister to missionaries there at a conference. Mom is helping raise funding and support for the team, and one of the things they did was put on a fundraising meal with traditional Bengali food. I had a bunch of fun cooking up these really thin tortilla-kinda things. Only in Minnesota can Easter be the latest it's been in years and still have snow piles. This was Easter morning (the picture got put on out of order and I didn't take the time to reload it). We figured we were past due for an updated picture of the three of us. Some of the cousins after the Easter egg hunt at Grandpa and Grandma's. Amy and Katie are in the back, left to right in the front are Taylor, Carson, Hannah's boyfriend Addison, and Hannah. We had the choir finale at our church. Pies for dessert after the concert! Dad doesn't often make it on the blog, mostly because he rolls his eyes and gives us "the look" every time we try to take a picture of him, but he didn't mind getting his picture taken on this particular day. I couldn't tell you what kind it is (Amy could though, if you really need to know), but he's pretty excited about it. He's ridden it to work every day since he got it last weekend, and I think he's going to until he gets icicles on his beard during the ride over. Katie went to Alternative Prom at the Hampton Inn. Doesn't she look beautiful?

Let Me

Whispers from God. Don't you love them? I know I do. This past year has been full of them, if I quiet my anxious heart long enough to listen. Sometimes it's obvious what He's saying. Trust me. Go here. Do this. Love her. Other times I have a hard time figuring out the message I'm supposed to be getting. I usually know the message I want to hear, but I've discovered, and I'm sure you have too, that God doesn't play by our rules (thank goodness). Lately I've been listening to the song "Beyond Words" by Tenth Avenue North often. My favorite lines are God speaking, saying, "Let me wrap my arms around you, let me take your breath away." Gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. Who doesn't want to be held, captivated, amazed at Someone so powerful, so truly awe-some? Better yet, to be completely unworthy and yet receive the promises all the same? "Let ME." That's the God-whisper I've been hearing and loving lately. Sometimes He fills in the blank at the end, "Let me comfort you. Let me be your strength. Let me take your cares." Sometimes it's more important that I only hear those first two words. Sure, I would like to know the rest, to know what He's going to do, but I'm learning that "Let me" is enough, even if I have no idea how the sentence could end. I know the gist of this is the same as saying "trust God" or "believe God," but to me, the visual in "let God" is so much more powerful. Because to let Him, I have to un-let myself. I have to let go of my grip on my situation. How often do we want His miracle, His solutions, but not His working? We want the end result from Him, but we think we should probably keep the reigns for the process, because who knows what He's going to do? He won't demand that we give it up; it's our choice. He'll let us struggle as long as we will in our stubbornness. But He'll be right there the whole time, whispering, "Let me. Let me, my child, let me."